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White House: Genocide resolution could hurt relations with key ally
* Story Highlights
* House resolution calls killing of Armenians during World War I "genocide"
* Administration says passage would hurt relations with Turkey
* Turkish president says passage of resolution would create a "backlash"
* Defense secretary says 70 percent of air cargo into Iraq goes through Turkey
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration Wednesday lobbied heavily
against a House resolution that labels the killings of Armenians in
Turkey during World War I as "genocide," saying it would hurt
relations with a key U.S. ally.
"We recognize the feelings of those who want to express their concern
and their disdain for what happened many years ago," Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice said outside the White House. "But the passage
of this resolution at this time would, indeed, be very problematic for
everything that we're trying to do in the Middle East because we are
very dependent on a good Turkish strategic ally to help with our
efforts."
The nonbinding proposal, which is to be considered by the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledges the "genocide" of Armenians in
the early 20th century during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
which preceded the creation of modern Turkey in 1923.
"In the case that Armenian allegations are accepted, there will be
serious problems in the relations between the two countries," said
President Abdullah Gul in a letter to President Bush, who staunchly
opposes the resolution.
Nabi Sensoy, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, told CNN the
resolution's passage would be a "very injurious move to the psyche of
the Turkish people."
He predicted a "backlash" in the country, saying there will be
setbacks on several fronts: Turkish-American relations,
Turkish-Armenian relations and the normalization of relations between
the nations of Turkey and Armenia.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said good relations with Turkey are
vital because 70 percent of the air cargo intended for and 30 percent
of the fuel consumed by the U.S. forces in Iraq flies through Turkey.
U.S. commanders, Gates said, "believe clearly that access to airfields
and roads and so on in Turkey would very much be put at risk if this
resolution passes and the Turks react as strongly as we believe they
will."
"Our heavy dependence on the Turks for access is really the reason the
commanders raised this and why we're so concerned about the
resolution," Gates said.
The resolution, which has much support in the full House, is "calling
upon the president (Bush) to ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing and
genocide documented in the United States record relating to the
Armenian genocide, and for other purposes."
A similar resolution passed the committee two years ago 40-7, but it
never reached the full House floor.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, the resolution's author and sponsor
refers to "the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000
Armenians as genocide."
The term genocide is defined in dictionary.com as "the deliberate and
systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural
group."
But this opinion is hotly disputed in Turkey, the predominantly
Muslim, but modern and secular, pro-Western ally of the United States.
Turks argue that all peoples -- Armenians and Turks -- suffered during
the warfare. But Armenians maintain there was an organized genocide by
the Ottoman Turkish authorities, and have been campaigning across the
world for official recognition of the genocide.
The resolution arrives at a particularly sensitive juncture in
U.S.-Turkish relations. The United States has urged Turkey not to send
its troops over the border into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish
separatist rebels, who have launched some cross-border attacks against
Turkish targets.
Observers of U.S.-Turkish relations have argued such a House
resolution could make Turkey less inclined to use restraint in dealing
with its longstanding problems with the Kurdistan Workers Party, known
as the PKK.
Schiff, who represents a southern California district with many
Armenian-Americans, said the "bipartisan measure currently has 226
cosponsors, more than a majority in the House and the most support an
Armenian genocide resolution has ever received."
"The United States has a compelling historical and moral reason to
recognize the Armenian genocide, which cost a million and a half
people their lives," said Schiff. "But we also have a powerful
contemporary reason as well. How can we take effective action against
the genocide in Darfur if we lack the will to condemn genocide
whenever and wherever it occurs?"
That is a reference to the violent conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/10/us.turkey.a rmenians/index.html
* Story Highlights
* House resolution calls killing of Armenians during World War I "genocide"
* Administration says passage would hurt relations with Turkey
* Turkish president says passage of resolution would create a "backlash"
* Defense secretary says 70 percent of air cargo into Iraq goes through Turkey
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration Wednesday lobbied heavily
against a House resolution that labels the killings of Armenians in
Turkey during World War I as "genocide," saying it would hurt
relations with a key U.S. ally.
"We recognize the feelings of those who want to express their concern
and their disdain for what happened many years ago," Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice said outside the White House. "But the passage
of this resolution at this time would, indeed, be very problematic for
everything that we're trying to do in the Middle East because we are
very dependent on a good Turkish strategic ally to help with our
efforts."
The nonbinding proposal, which is to be considered by the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledges the "genocide" of Armenians in
the early 20th century during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
which preceded the creation of modern Turkey in 1923.
"In the case that Armenian allegations are accepted, there will be
serious problems in the relations between the two countries," said
President Abdullah Gul in a letter to President Bush, who staunchly
opposes the resolution.
Nabi Sensoy, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, told CNN the
resolution's passage would be a "very injurious move to the psyche of
the Turkish people."
He predicted a "backlash" in the country, saying there will be
setbacks on several fronts: Turkish-American relations,
Turkish-Armenian relations and the normalization of relations between
the nations of Turkey and Armenia.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said good relations with Turkey are
vital because 70 percent of the air cargo intended for and 30 percent
of the fuel consumed by the U.S. forces in Iraq flies through Turkey.
U.S. commanders, Gates said, "believe clearly that access to airfields
and roads and so on in Turkey would very much be put at risk if this
resolution passes and the Turks react as strongly as we believe they
will."
"Our heavy dependence on the Turks for access is really the reason the
commanders raised this and why we're so concerned about the
resolution," Gates said.
The resolution, which has much support in the full House, is "calling
upon the president (Bush) to ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing and
genocide documented in the United States record relating to the
Armenian genocide, and for other purposes."
A similar resolution passed the committee two years ago 40-7, but it
never reached the full House floor.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, the resolution's author and sponsor
refers to "the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000
Armenians as genocide."
The term genocide is defined in dictionary.com as "the deliberate and
systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural
group."
But this opinion is hotly disputed in Turkey, the predominantly
Muslim, but modern and secular, pro-Western ally of the United States.
Turks argue that all peoples -- Armenians and Turks -- suffered during
the warfare. But Armenians maintain there was an organized genocide by
the Ottoman Turkish authorities, and have been campaigning across the
world for official recognition of the genocide.
The resolution arrives at a particularly sensitive juncture in
U.S.-Turkish relations. The United States has urged Turkey not to send
its troops over the border into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish
separatist rebels, who have launched some cross-border attacks against
Turkish targets.
Observers of U.S.-Turkish relations have argued such a House
resolution could make Turkey less inclined to use restraint in dealing
with its longstanding problems with the Kurdistan Workers Party, known
as the PKK.
Schiff, who represents a southern California district with many
Armenian-Americans, said the "bipartisan measure currently has 226
cosponsors, more than a majority in the House and the most support an
Armenian genocide resolution has ever received."
"The United States has a compelling historical and moral reason to
recognize the Armenian genocide, which cost a million and a half
people their lives," said Schiff. "But we also have a powerful
contemporary reason as well. How can we take effective action against
the genocide in Darfur if we lack the will to condemn genocide
whenever and wherever it occurs?"
That is a reference to the violent conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/10/us.turkey.a rmenians/index.html